The Great Divide
by Brighteyes of Thunderclan
Summary: Meet Moonclan. Exiled from the 5 original Clans long ago, their prey runs short even in green-leaf. The warriors have grown bitter, their kits dying, cats always hungry. Now, tension runs high. Brother turns on brother, mate on mate, father on son. There is no stopping it. The great divide has arrived... First story! Yay me! If tansyheart or swyfte reviews I will die of joy :) R&R!
1. Prologue

_The one you love, you'll lose,_

_gaining something even more cherished in the end. _

_Your cats will be torn within their hearts and thoughts, these wounds not to be healed overtime._

_Their bodies will break, blood will be spilled, there is no turning back. _

_The clan will broken, _

_something you cannot stop, _

_loyalties split _

_in __**the great divide**__. _

"No, no, no!" Snowstar cried, straining towards the almost-black silver she-cat but unable to move, watching as her glowing golden eyes faded into the blackness, her ominous words still ringing clear. "Darkpool, don't leave me! Tell me! How can I stop the suffering?" He wailed. But Darkpool was gone. He was alone, the shadows closing in, the wails of his clanmates echoing around...

"Save us Snowstar!"

"Stop them Snowstar!"

"Please, please, have mercy! Mercy! NOOOoooo..."

"My kits! Save my kits!"

"Momma!" The white tom tried to break through the invisible wall separating him from his clan. As much as he urged his body forward, willing his limbs to move, he stayed still and alone, the torturous sounds of pain upon his cats filling the air. Until he screamed.

"Snowstar, Snowstar…wake up," a soft voice murmured.

"Nooo, noo, my clan, save my clan! Darkpool! Save them! Help me!" He moaned. A soft paw prodded him. "Wha-? Where am I? Darkpool! I must find Darkpool!" He gasped frantically, scrabbling at the moss with his paws.

"My love, you just had a bad dream, I promise." He found himself staring into deep dark brown eyes with streaks of brilliant amber, her face soft and round, speckled with patches of gray brown and black. "All is well in the clan, my dearest." _For now, _he thought darkly.


	2. Chapter 1

Sunlight streamed through the roof of the den, catching his half-opened eyes. It was blinding, he narrowed them further against the light. Shifting his weight, he lifted himself to his paws. The large tom stood, shaking out his snowy white fur sliced through with black, tiger-patterned stripes. Glancing down, he saw his mate, Leopardmask, curled up and breathing ever so softly. Her light gray fur dappled with splotches of black, brown, and dark silver rose and fell evenly. He purred, leaving her to sleep, and left the den. Emerging into the sunlight he blinked thrice. Once thoroughly adjusted, he stared down upon his camp with pride shining in his ice blue eyes that now twinkled with golden light. Cats roamed the camp. Pinepaw, Adderpaw, Tigerpaw and Badgerpaw were practicing battle moves on each other outside the apprentice den, the younger apprentice, Amberpaw, watching with admiration.

His deputy, Flintclaw, sat organizing patrols for the morning, and by the absence of Spicepaw, Cloverpaw and their mentors, the dawn patrol had already left. He purred loudly and let his gaze wonder about, resting on the medicine cat den, where Goldendawn had poked her head out, beckoning Hopetail inside with a small toss of her head. The expectant queen tottered over, her wide belly causing her to walk with much difficulty. Flintclaw took a moment and looked up when he noticed the white and black tom's proud shape standing on the rocky outcrop above him.

"Why, good morning Snowstar."

"Yes, it is a fine one isn't it?" The leader leaped down gracefully. "I can take over from here, Flintclaw. Hailstorm, Daisyfoot, Turtleshine, and Amberpaw, I would like you to go hunting along the northern border today. Rosefur, please take the older apprentices and…." Snowstar continued, leaving Flintclaw to sit beneath the ledge, scowling.

_For once I had complete control._ He thought to himself. _I could lead this clan far better than _this_ one could. Soft, lazy kittypet. Can't he see his clan is starving? What little prey we can catch freezes before it can be eaten, and with many of our "warriors" lacking the skills necessary for life in the clan, it is even hard to feed us in Green-leaf, let alone Leaf-fall. The sooner the kittypets die off the better. _These thoughts gave birth to a new idea for Flintclaw. _Blame the kittypets! It couldn't be more perfect. The clan is bitter and hungry already, but with some cat to blame, they will join me. I always knew Snowstar was weak and I should have seen it before. Now's my chance! I must wait for the perfect moment to arise...patience is key Flintclaw. You are the hunter...wait in the weeds...then strike!_

The dark smoke colored tom stood, wiping off the look of hatred that had accumulated on his face and replacing it with a blank slate. _If I'm going to do something, I must not be obvious...patience is key, as is subtlety. _Flintclaw stretched languidly, then rose to his paws again and padded towards the nursery. Poking his head inside, he saw his his mate conversing with Goldendawn while her apprentice, Wolfpaw, sorted the dry herbs from the fresh ones.

"Hopetail," He purred. The elegant golden tabby she-cat turned, her face lighting up when she saw Flintclaw.

"Good morning, love." She smiled, walking over and touching her muzzle to his.

"How are you?" Flintclaw asked.

"Oh, I'm fine. Wonderful, in fact! Goldendawn says the kits are scheduled to arrive in two moons! Oh, I'm just so happy!" She replied. It was Hopetail's first litter, and she was bursting with nervous excitement. Flintclaw laughed.

"That's great! I can't wait to meet you, little ones," He murmured, leaning down to place a gentle paw on Hopetail's stomach. "I'm sure you'll make Moonclan proud." _If there still is a Moonclan, with all of us starving everyday. _Flintclaw thought miserably. Hopetail sighed, happy her mate was so excited about their kits. Flintclaw lifted his head to look at her. "You should be resting."

"I can still patrol!" Hopetail huffed indignantly. Flintclaw let out an exasperated sigh.

"Love, I don't want you to hurt yourself! With the kits due so soon, you should stay in camp. Go eat, or sleep, or...lie in the sun or something!" He licked her cheek. "I've got to go. See you later." He walked out of the medicine cat's den and settled by the fresh-kill pile. Choosing a starling for himself, he began to eat.

Hopetail exited the den after Goldendawn gave her some borage and a bit of chervil. Seeing her mate watching her from where he sat eating, she grumbled to herself, but went to the nursery.

"I brought you something to eat." Leopardmask meowed, the words muffled by the rabbit she was carrying. Hopetail purred.

"Thanks, Leopardmask. I know you'll always be there for me."

"That's what friends are for, isn't it?" She laughed, sitting next to the golden she-cat.

"So," Hopetail said, swallowing a mouthful of rabbit. "When are you going to move in here with me?"

"Me? In the nursery? Are you kidding? You know I don't want kits, Hopetail!" Leopardmask hissed, shocked.

"Whoa, whoa, sorry!" Hopetail squeaked. "I just meant, you know, Snowstar and you..."

"He always asks me if I want kits." The speckled she-cat sighed. "And I know he'd love to have them, but I just can't! It doesn't feel right."

"Well, it would be nice to have some company..." Hopetail mused, shooting a meaningful glance at her friend. Leopardmask shrunk back.

"I-I've got to go...umm, patrols...hunting..." The slender she-cat hurried away. Hopetail shook her head and went back to eating.

Flintclaw finished his starling. It was small and not filling in the least. The rest of the fresh-kill wasn't much better. There was a scrawny shrew, two squirrels, and a young sparrow. _This will _NEVER_ feed the clan! We must get the done soon...survival is limited. Only the strongest must live. _He flashed back to the stories of exile the elders used to tell, before they got to weak to even **think **of telling a story to the kits. Not that there'd been many kits either. _The elders used to say that Moonclan was exiled because the other clans thought it was against the code to let so many kittypets into the clan. They threw us out, thinking we were wasting precious territory. And they were right!_ He hissed. _This has to stop. __**Remember Flintclaw**, _He told his impatient mind. _Remember the hunt, the patience, the weeds. Wait in the weeds..._

**Sorry if this is short, I'm having a bit of writer's block right now. Ugh! Life is so hard on me lol. Next update soon!**

**Happy new year, **

**Bright**


	3. Chapter 2

**Aw, only one review? Oh well, it is a new story I guess. But thanks Briarwind! You really made my day :) Please read and review! I'd appreciate any constructive criticism and/or cats to add to Moonclan! Please tell me if they're for or against siding with Flintclaw. Thanks! -Bright**

It had been two moons since Flintclaw had thought of his plan to save the clan, and since his kits had been born. The large orange and black tom purred whenever any cat mentioned his two kits, Swiftkit and Cloverkit. Those two were the lights of his life, other than Hopetail. Though they were still too small to leave the nursery and play outside, he always visited. Swiftkit was a feisty little white tom with dark blue, almost black eyes. His sister, Cloverkit, was ginger and white, and sweet as honey. Flintclaw adored them both.

Today, Flintclaw had to take over assigning patrols, again, because Snowstar was arguing with Leopardmask. He swore, they were always at each other's throats now. _Even more proof that Snowstar is an incompetent leader, he lets his personal problems get in the way of leading his clan. _Flintclaw had noticed that the two fought before, but it became even more pronounced after Hopetail had kitted. His mate had told him that Snowstar desperately wanted kits, but Leopardmask refused, saying she didn't need the constant complaints and extra work that comes with being a mother. Flintclaw couldn't help but admire the spunk that the dappled she-cat had, though it made him feel guilty whenever he thought of her instead of Hopetail.

Shaking his head, he kept sorting patrols. He had begun to have to send out twice the amount of hunting patrols because it was now leaf-bare and there was so little prey to be found. That, added to the poor skills of some of the kittypet warriors, meant that the clan was growing hungrier and hungrier everyday. Even Hailstorm, whose thick, glossy, fluffy white fur made him look plump all season, looked emaciated, his ribs clearly defined through his snowy pelt. Flintclaw himself was weaker, for all his prey he gave to Hopetail and the elders.

"Hey!" Flintclaw heard a tiny squeak from the corner of camp by the nursery. Pausing his activity, he rushed over the the thick, bramble covered den. A little orange and white shape sat mewling outside the entrance.

"Cloverkit! Sweetheart, what in Starclan's name are you doing out her? You'll freeze! You're not even supposed to be out of the nursery yet, you-you're not even a moon old" He fussed over the tiny she-cat, covering her in swift licks.

"Daddy! Swiftkit pushed me! I was only looking outside, and he pushed me!" Cloverkit mewed unhappily. "And it hurt, too!" She held up a dainty white paw. "I landed on it funny and now it hurts real bad!" Flintclaw touched his nose to it gently and she flinched. Worried, he lifted his little daughter up in his jaws, hurrying her to the medicine cat's den. Wolfpaw rushed over.

"What happened? Is she coughing?" He asked, nervously.

"Swiftkit's a meanie! He pushed me out of the den and I hurt my paw!" Cloverkit pouted. Wolfpaw purred.

"I'm glad that's all it is." He chuckled.

"It's not funny!" Cloverkit squeaked indignantly.

"Of course it's not." Flintclaw soothed, looking up at Wolfpaw with a hard stare. The young brown tom looked away, ashamed.

"Here," Wolfpaw said, getting over his shame and snatching a small black seed from a shallow dip in the ground. He gently nipped it in half and handed one of the halves to Flintclaw. "Have her eat this. She's too small for a whole poppyseed, so have her eat this halve. It will take away the pain, but make her pretty sleepy. Come back if it still hurts later." Wolfpaw said to Cloverkit. She obediently ate the fragment of seed and yawned almost immediately. Flintclaw gently picked up his daughter by the scruff of her neck and brought her back to the nursery. By the time she was snuggled back up with Hopetail, Cloverkit was fast asleep. Flintclaw smiled, and returned to his job of sorting patrols.

As he finished with his duties, the young warrior Nightstripe padded past the deputy.

" 'Morning Flintclaw. Not out on patrol? That's unlike you." The brown tom mewed, muscles rippling under his pelt streaked through with flashes of black as he turned.

_Now, Flintclaw. It has been long enough. You can no longer be torn apart by your clan's suffering. You must begin the stalk with stealth. You are the hunter!_

"Oh, I probably should...you know the hunting patrols haven't been bringing back much prey these past moons." He leaned in, as if to speak confidentially with the other warrior. "I've noticed that patrols led by Hailstorm and Graywind particularly have been coming up short. I wonder why that could be?" Flintclaw mused quietly. The deputy stood and watched the wheels turning in Nightstripe's head.

"Do you think it could be because...because they are-_kittypets_?" The dark tom asked, whispering the last word.

"Or at least have kittypet heritage. They are certainly not pure clan blood, like us." Flintclaw mews. "In fact, that reason was what I had suspected. What do you think?"

""It's quite possible...They don't have the natural skills of warriors purr of blood." Nightstripe meowed, his eyes widening as he realized what this meant.

"We would be stronger without them wouldn't we? Less mouths to feed, eliminate the untalented...it would all work out." Flintclaw purred. Nightstripe, who had at first seemed doubtful, nodded.

"It would be perfect. Only the best for Moonclan!" The young tom declared. As he walked away to greet the returning border patrol, he called back to the deputy "I'll help you Flintclaw! Only the strongest are meant to survive. We can help these cats along no more." Flintclaw nodded and felt a purr of satisfaction well up in his throat. He pushed it down. _Two warriors will not solve this issue alone. My work is not done yet._

He walked to the warrior's den, content to build his new clan from the ground up. "Tangledbriar!" He called. "Can I talk to you for a moment...?"

**I know it's a little crappy, but hey, I'm tired and it's just filler. Working on alliances now! PLease give me any cats in Moonclan or outside of Moonclan (ie. Rogues, loners, kittpets, etc.)**

**Please review!**

**-Bright**


	4. Alliances!

**Big thanks to those who reviewed!**

**Kestrel the Rogue- I really like those names! I think I'll use them when Cloverkit and Swiftkit become warriors... :)**

**Shadowfur1017- I used your cats! I hope you like (or at least find interesting) the personalities of them later on. **

**I know alliances are boring, and this one's pretty late but every clan needs to know who lives in it! **

**Update soon,**

**Bright**

_Alliances:_

**Moonclan:**

**Leader: **Snowstar, a large white tom with jagged black tiger stripes, ice blue eyes

**Deputy: **Flintclaw, Orange and black tabby tom with dark amber eyes

**Medicine Cat(s): **Goldendawn, Yellow/gold she-cat with a dark orange/gold stripe down her back and orange/gold tabby markings on her head, light amber eyes

Apprentice- Wolfpaw,

**Warriors: **

Hailstorm- White, thick furred tom with deep blue eyes

Apprentice- Pinepaw

Leopardmask- light gray furred she-cat dappled with splotches of black, brown, and dark silver, dark eyes with streaks of bright amber

Daisyfoot- brown and white she-cat with silver eyes

Apprentice- Amberpaw

Turtleshine- long furred tortoiseshell she-cat with dark amber eyes

Rosefur- brown she-cat with reddish/pinkish tint to her fur, golden eyes

Apprentice-Adderpaw

Nightstripe- dark brown tom with black tabby stripes and yellow eyes

Tangledbriar- cream and brown she-cat whose long fur is almost permanently tangled with mats and bits of twigs and leaves, light blue eyes

Ravenwing- pure black she-cat with bright amber eyes

Apprentice- Badgerpaw

Brambleheart- golden tom with light brown stripes, dark blue eyes

Apprentice- Splashpaw

Yellowstripe- handsome light golden tom with dark gold stripes

Apprentice- Dustypaw

Cloudpatch- White tom with black patches, gray/blue eyes

Sunflame- small dark yellow she-cat with shining copper eyes

Apprentice- Tigerpaw

Softstep- Fluffy calico she-cat, light amber eyes

Skyheart- silver and black dappled she-cat, light silver eyes

Apprentice- Spicepaw

**Apprentices:**

Wolfpaw- light brown tom with one white forepaw

Dustypaw- dusty gray and white tom with orange eyes

Pinepaw- black tom with chilling golden eyes rimmed with new-leaf green

Adderpaw and Tigerpaw- identical toms, each with scruffy orange and white fur with black, gold, and darker orange stripes, one green eye and one blue eye each

Badgerpaw- skinny black and white tom with deep green eyes

Amberpaw- youngest apprentice, orange tabby she-cat with hazel eyes

Spicepaw- white and light brown she-cat with brown and cinnamon stripes, light blue eyes

Splashpaw- black, orange, and white calico she-cat with dark green eyes, almost black

**Queens:**

Hopetail- muscular golden tabby she-cat with dark golden eyes (Kits: Swiftkit, feisty white tom with dark blue eyes Cloverkit, ginger and white she-cat with sparkling sky-blue eyes)

**Elders:**

Longstripes- Pale golden tom with long gray stripes, dark copper eyes

Flowertail-Large tan she-cat, lemon yellow eyes

**Cats Outside Moonclan:**

Brick- rogue, rusty red tom with dull green eyes

Lavender-rogue, light gray she-cat with pale blue eyes

Mittens(kittypet)- black tortoiseshell she-cat with ginger, brown, white patches and ginger paws, leaf-green eyes

Nub(kittypet)- long-haired gray tom with stub of a tail, dull copper eyes

Sally (kittypet)- sleek brown tabby she-cat, bright hazel eyes


	5. Chapter 3

**Hugs to all who reviewed! I can't believe how awesome you guys are :)**

Flintclaw:

_Well, it's off to a good start._ Flintclaw thought with a sigh. So far, almost every cat he talked to about his idea had agreed. _They're tired of dying. They're tired and scared and hungry. It's almost time. _Flintclaw went over the list of cats he had recruited in his head. _So there's Nightstripe, Tangledbriar, Rosefur, Ravenwing, Cloudpatch, Pinepaw, Adderpaw, Splashpaw and Flowertail. _Flintclaw purred to himself. _Soon I'll break the idea to Hopetail. She'll have to join! I could never leave her behind. _Flintclaw decided, walking towards the nursery. Yet he paused at the entrance. _What will I say? What will I do? How will she answer? Oh, great Starclan, why is this so hard?! _He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. _I'll wait 'til later. We won't leave for a while yet. There's no reason she needs to know so soon. _He reasoned. Satisfied with his decision, Flintclaw left to join a hunting patrol. _At least I know that _I"ll _bring back something._ He thought shrewdly.

Snowstar:

_Why? Why is she so stubborn?! _Snowstar thought angrily as Leopardmask stormed out of his den. _All I want is kits of our own! Is that so hard? _Calming down, his anger turned to sadness. _They'd be so beautiful. We'd have at least three, and they'd all look like their mother. _Snowstar pictured himself, sitting by his mate, watching three dappled kittens chase a moss-ball around camp, squealing with delight when the occasional bat from a warrior sends the ball flying. It was the perfect vision. _But no. She won't have any of it. Even the mere mention of the nursery sends her running. _He grumbled. _But this is not of the utmost importance. It must wait. Right now, my clan is slipping away, faster than I've ever imagined. And here I've sat, absorbed in the petty arguments of my "family". This ends now. _Snowstar stood, and hurried out of the den into the cold sunshine. The large white tom strode down the stony path down to the center of camp. To his surprise, he entered in the middle of a fight.

"You stupid, stupid mousebrain! You expect you can walk into this camp, bearing no prey, yet having led a hunting patrol since dawn? Of all the idiocies I've ever witnessed, this is by far the worst!" Rosefur yowled. Hailstorm stood with his thick white fur spiked up along his spine. His dark blue eyes shone with rage.

"You dare insult my hunting skills? It is the middle of leaf-bare! I wouldn't expect any cat to bring back much prey when it's busy hiding in its holes!" He snarled.

"Even very little prey is better than none! What were you doing out there that occupied so much of your precious time? Sunning yourself? Conversing with kittypets? Starclan knows you're close enough with them already, you needn't aspire to be one as well!" Rosefur taunted maliciously. Every cat gasped. They all knew Hailstorm's parents were a pair of kittypets, but he had let them to become a warrior, which he had said was far nobler a life than whatever he would've led in twolegplace. It had always been a touchy subject.

"You-you scum!" The white warrior spat. "No cat insults my family! Just because they associate with twolegs and have easier lives than us does _not_ mean they are lesser cats! You shameful, vicious she-cat. It's no wonder you're still alone! Who would want to be with you? You're barely a warrior, in fact, you don't even deserve the title!" The two circled each other, eyes dark, claws unsheathed. Suddenly, Rosefur lunged.

Flintclaw:

Upon reentering camp, Flintclaw found himself facing a savage battle between his sister and Hailstorm. Rosefur was then pinned beneath the large tom. The reddish-brown she-cat looked up and saw her brother in the entrance of camp with his patrol.

"Look!" She crowed. "A pureblooded warrior. And see what he has in his jaws, Hailstorm? Or will you deny it, just like you deny your own poor skills? He has _prey_! It's thanks to warriors like Flintclaw that we haven't completely starved to death yet!" Hailstorm hissed and pushed his broad white paw further up her neck.

"You criticize my skills, and yet who is lying on the ground at my mercy, Rosefur? Could it be a…pureblood warrior? Where's your logic now, hmm?" He released the writhing she-cat, who, for once, was at a loss for words. Flintclaw rushed to her side, where she raised herself slowly from the ground. The grand black and orange tom swept his gaze around the clan. _Well, this is the time. I didn't expect it to be so soon, but my clanmate's lives depend on it! _He placed the squirrel he had caught on the ground and pushed it to the side.

"What Rosefur says is true!" He meowed, his voice full and powerful. Flintclaw shifted his weight and stood like he had seen Snowstar stand before, a commanding presence in the Clan. "We can't feed ourselves due to the fact that some warriors aren't able to hunt sufficiently. We should rid ourselves of these cats. They make us weak, and Moonclan would have a better chance of survival without them. We can no longer help along the weaker. Only the strong may survive, and only the strong can thrive!" Cats stood, some with looks of doubt, some approval, and some utter outrage. Snowstar was one of those cats.

"We cannot throw our own clanmate's, our own _family_, out into the forest with no support, no home. They do not deserve that fate. Moonclan has lasted this long with all different cats with many diverse heritages. These differences do not mean we are not all warriors! Moonclan is a family, and brothers and sisters do not abandon each other because one has more skills than the other, or because one is not as able to adapt as quickly. Family sticks by family. We are all in this together!" He booms. _He is very convincing._ Flintclaw conceded. _I will have to try harder. _

"Even families have to admit when members don't contribute and endanger the whole. You don't see mother foxes keeping their lame or weak cubs because she knows they will only drag down the rest. We need to stay strong, and the only way to do that is to keep only the strong, the proven. In other words, the pureblood clanmembers." Snowstar opened his mouth to argue, but Flintclaw barged on. "This is why I have decided to take pureblood clancats to a new territory, as a new clan. A stronger clan. Whoever wishes to join us may, so long as they have clan lineage. We will survive!" He finished strong, his amber stare boring into Snowstar, who kept his cool despite the burning anger and pain in his eyes as his own deputy turned on him.

"You always were too ambitious for your own good, Flintclaw." Snowstar said quietly, but still held the defiant tom's gaze. Flintclaw broke contact, and surveyed the cats watching him. He noticed Hopetail, standing in the entrance to the nursery, and was confused upon seeing her pained expression.

"You would abandon your own family, Flintclaw?" She whispered. It rang out like thunder in the silent clearing.

"Of course not! You would come with me!" He gasped, shocked that his mate would ever say such a thing.

"You don't remember?" She asked sadly. "My father was a kittypet, Flintclaw. I'm 'impure' to you. As are our kits." Flintclaw stood in shock. He had completely forgotten about this minor flaw in his plan, he was so wrapped up in how he would execute it.

Flintclaw lifted his chin and tore his eyes from hers. "Then, for the good of the clan, I no longer have any family."

**So whaddaya think? Flintclaw or Snowstar? ****Update soon! Love dem reviews!**

**-Bright**


	6. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews, much appreciated! :)**

Snowstar:

He couldn't believe it. _What kind of a cat rejects his own kin? What _monster_ has lived under my nose all my life? _Standing there, Snowstar watched his deputy. Their gazes met for a moment, and Snowstar searched his. The dark amber eyes held nothing. No anger. No happiness. No remorse. They were hard, cold, and empty. The leader felt as a new cat, a cat without a soul, escaped from the Dark Forest had come to possess his deputy.

The dark pelted tom turned away and walked out of the bramble-covered entrance. Snowstar watched as other cats followed. Rosefur, head held high, scratches still bleeding heavily staining her fur even redder, stalked out of the camp without a parting glance. Next went Nightstripe, the young tom casting a guilty look at his former leader before hurrying out to join the rest of the deserters. Tangledbriar and Ravenwing left after, and Cloudpatch trailing behind them with Pinepaw and Adderpaw. Dustypaw dashed to catch up with his black furred littermate. Splashpaw touched her sibling's muzzles and then left. Longstripes protested as Flowertail heaved herself to her paws and padded after the others who had already exited. The elderly tom called for her to come back, but the tan she-cat's heart was set in place; and the tip of her tan tail was the last glimpse of her they had as she disappeared through the bushes.

Snowstar shook his head sadly, but knew he could do nothing to get his clanmate's to return. _Flintclaw was right. This clan is dying. Soon, there will be nothing left. _A tiny part of him at the back of his mind sparked angrily. _NO! This clan will _not_ die with you as leader! Moonclan will survive, and now, with fewer mouths to feed, it will be far easier. We will-_A shriek from Softstep tore him from his thoughts. The calico she-cat was blocking the exit of the camp, her light amber eyes sad and pleading.

"No! You can't leave me!" She cried. Snowstar suddenly recognized the cat that was trying to get past Softstep.

"Leopardmask?" He gasped. The speckled she-cat turned towards him.

"There is nothing left here!" She claimed. "Nothing but a shell of a once powerful, formidable Clan. Snowstar, you have led us to this fate. I will not be here to witness it." His mate pushed past her sister, and dashed out the tunnel.

"Leopardmask!" Softstep wailed.

"Leopardmask, come back! My love, please! Leopardmask!" He called, and ran after her. Shoving past tangled brambles and getting whipped by slender branches, he followed her spotted pelt through the woods until finally she spun around and confronted him.

"Stay away from me! Leave!" She snarled. Snowstar stopped, shocked. "Well? Can't you take a hint? Leave. Me. ALONE!"

"I loved you." He whispered. Her face softened for a moment, but then her features hardened.

"I loved you, too. But don't you get it? That was then. This is now. We have nothing left. Got it? Nothing. Don't chase me anymore. Haven't you seen me, walking away? Sleeping in the warrior's den?"

"Is this about the kits? Leopardmask, we don't have to have any. I love you, isn't that enough?" Snowstar pleaded.

"See? You _don't get it_! We're over!" She yowled, and bolted off into the forest.

LINEBREAK

"Where is she?" Softstep let out a tortured yowl. Snowstar had returned without Leopardmask, his walk back a long and lonely one.

"She's gone." He rasped. Tail dragging, he trudged over to the medicine cat den. Goldendawn's eyes shone in the darkness.

"Oh, Snowstar." She sighed. Stepping forward, she nuzzled her brother's ear. "It's hard, I know. But it's better this way." She looked at him seriously.

"How is this better?" He croaked. "The clan is torn apart, heart's included." It was then that he remembered the prophecy.

"The one you love, you'll lose, gaining something even more cherished in the end. Your cats will be torn within their hearts and thoughts, these wounds not to be healed overtime. Their bodies will break, blood will be spilled, there is no turning back. The clan will be broken, something you cannot stop, loyalties split in **the great divide**." He whispered. Goldendawn glanced at him curiously.

"Now what was that?" She asked. Snowstar sighed.

"I haven't been entirely honest with you. Darkpool, she came to me in a dream. And that was what she said. I finally understand now." _Now that I've had to lose Leopardmask and half of my clanmates! _He thought darkly.

"My poor brother, carrying the weight of a prophecy alone!" Goldendawn murmured sympathetically. "I'm always here for you."

"I know. And for that, I'll be forever grateful." Snowstar purred.

Hopetail:

_He _left _me. He stood there and denied me. _Hopetail glanced down at her belly, where her two precious kittens slept. _Well, denied us. _She bent down and licked the top of Swiftkit's fuzzy white head, remembering that moment, the moment where her world came crashing down around her. "_Whoever wishes to join us may, so long as they have clan lineage. We will survive!" Flintclaw finished. _

_"You always were too ambitious for your own good, Flintclaw." Snowstar said quietly, but still held the defiant tom's gaze. Flintclaw broke contact, and surveyed the cats watching him. He looked at me, standing in the entrance to the nursery; I was in so much pain to here his voice so cold and heartless. _

_"You would abandon your own family, Flintclaw?" I whispered. I still couldn't believe he didn't remember. My-my father. Oh, Donner, I miss you._

_"Of course not! You would come with me!" My mate gasped. I felt tears welling in my eyes already. Glancing down, I saw the wide eyes of our kits, scared of their father. No kit should ever be._

_"You don't remember?" I asked. My voice shook. I remembered Donner, his long brown fur, his soft gaze, how much he loved me. But he wouldn't give up that red collar, the one he wore so proudly…not even for me. "My father was a kittypet, Flintclaw. I'm 'impure' to you. As are our kits." Flintclaw stood in shock. I hated telling him, I wished I could lie and be with him. Bu-but it…it slipped out. Now I can never take it back. I can only hope…_

_My mate lifted his chin and tore his eyes from mine. "Then, for the good of the clan, I no longer have any family." The words were cold, but felt like fiery claws on my heart. I never imagined he would say something so hurtful, I thought we would always love each other, that we would watch our kits grow up and then grow old together, finally continuing our lives together in Starclan. I had never been more wrong. I couldn't bear to watch him leave, and risk my heart being torn any more. I turned tear spilling down my cheeks, and huddled in the darkest, furthest corner of the den. Swiftkit and Cloverkit tried to comfort me, but finally gave up and fell asleep curled up together. I couldn't leave them alone. They needed me, I was now all they had._

**Poor Hopetail! The ones we love we lose...**

**On a happier note: I am proud to say I passed my math test! WHOOOT WHOOOT Now, I may not update for a while b/c I have a SS test and Science test and French project all this week and part of next so I'm gonna be busy :P But hoping for at least a total of 10 reviews! Love y'all!**

**-Bright **


	7. Chapter 5

**After a lot of writer's block, here's chapter five! I realized it's hard to see the POV switches, so I'm gonna underline them from now on.**

Hopetail:

Hopetail sighed. She watched her kits play outside the nursery. Swiftkit pounced on his sister, who giggled and batted her brother with her paws. It had been a moon since their father had left, and they seemed to have forgotten him. _I will never forget him_. She thought. The entire clan had tried to cheer her up, bringing her freshkill and stuffing extra feathers in her nest. _Nothing can heal a broken heart._ Hopetail sighed again. She rolled over and stared at the dark walls of the nursery, sinking, slowly sinking, into a sea of sadness.

Snowstar:

_The clan has never been stronger! _ Snowstar thought proudly. Softstep had moved to the nursery, leaving Yellowstripe to strut around camp, puffed up like a vain starling. Snowstar chuckled. He then turned towards the center of camp. Swiftkit and Cloverkit were having mock battles, as usual. The little kits were always playing, and because they were the only two in the nursery right now, their bond was even greater. _In three moons they will begin their training. I'm sure they'll be wonderful warriors. _He thought with a smile. He swept his gaze over the rest of camp. The prey pile was well stocked, and cat's bellies were full. _If it's like this now, we'll be fat as kittypets come new-leaf!_ He purred to himself. Sunflame and Skyheart were sunning themselves on the rocks by the medicine cat's den. Hailstorm and Brambleheart were sharing tongues by the pile, and Badgerpaw and Spicepaw were eating with Daisyfoot. The family seemed to have gotten over the fact that Splashpaw, Badgerpaw and Spicepaw's sister, had chosen to live in the other Clan. The only thing missing from this perfect picture was Leopardmask. _Oh, Leopardmask. How I wish I could share this moment with you! I will always love you, Leopardmask. _He leaped down from the ledge by his den and greeted his clanmates.

"How's the prey running, Hailstorm?" He meows, dipping his head to the strong white warrior. He turned from his conversation with Brambleheart and looked at Snowstar. Hailstorm's blue eyes glowed.

"It's wonderful, Snowstar! You should see the size of the sparrow Badgerpaw caught the other day! It was bigger than him!" Snowstar laughed. Ever since Hailstorm's apprentice, Pinepaw, had left, he had trained Badgerpaw. Ravenwing, who had been the young black and white tom's mentor, had joined with Flintclaw as well. _No, not Flintclaw._ Snowstar corrected himself. _Flint_star _now._ A few nights after the cats had left, Flintstar had returned, informing Moonclan of his new name and clan, Sunclan. All Moonclan cats had bristled at his announcement, saying that it was a lie, that Starclan would never grant him nine lives after what he had done to the Clan. Hopetail hadn't even been able to come out of the nursery; she was too upset to face her former mate.

"Snowstar?" Hailstorm asked, shaking him out of his memories.

"Oh, sorry." He shook his head, as if to rid himself of a bothersome fly.

"I was asking you if we could hold Badgerpaw, Spicepaw, and Tigerpaw's assesments soon. They have trained for quite a while and Skyheart, Sunflame and I think they're just about ready for their warrior names." Hailstorm continued.

"Yes, of course." Snowstar agreed. "We will hold them tomorrow. Tell the apprentices to prepare and practice."

"Thank you, Snowstar! It will be good for the Clan to see that we are still strong." Hailstorm purred, and hurried off to tell the others.

"Good day, Snowstar." Turtleshine purred, walking up to him as Hailstorm left. "You seem to be very busy lately. Why don't you go eat something and relax?" Snowstar prepared to protest, but realized that he was, in fact, very tense.

"That sounds…very good, actually." He replied. "Want to split a thrush?"

"Of course!" Turtleshine meowed happily. She walked over to the freshkill pile and chose a plump brown thrush from the top. She carried it over, her eyes shining. _Turtleshine has been so helpful to every cat this past moon. _Snowstar realized as he looked at the she-cat. _She's spent practically all of her time either comforting Hopetail or heading out on patrol. _She _is the one who truly deserves some rest. _The large white tom sat down next to the pretty tortoiseshell and began to eat. Once finished, Turtleshine purred.

"I've got to go catch a border patrol, I promised Daisyfoot I would. See you later?"

"Sure." Snowstar meowed, standing up to stretch. After she left, Longstripes ambled over.

"Soon there may be _two_ new litters of kits in the nursery, not just Softstep's." He rasped. "Turtleshine certainly enjoys your company." Snowstar flushed.

"There's no time to think about mates now, Longstripes. I've got a Clan to lead." He rumbled, walking away. The elder merely shook his head and began sorting through the freshkill pile. "Whatever you say Snowstar." He chuckled. Snowstar rolled the elder's words over in his mind. _"Turtleshine certainly enjoys your compan_y." _Hmmm…The young she-cat is very pretty, and kind, and sweet, and loyal… _He conceded. _No! You can't think like this. You love Leopardmask, not Turtleshine. _He scolded himself. _But what if I don't? What if I don't love Leopardmask? She rejected me. _A snide little voice spoke. This led Snowstar to think about the two she-cats. _Leopardmask, so gentle, yet so ambitious! _He thought. _But is that a good thing? Maybe she's just a power monger. _Snowstar padded over to Yellowstripe, who was about to leave on a hunting patrol with Brambleheart. "Mind if I join you?" The leader asked, hoping to escape his conflicted thoughts.

"Not at all, Snowstar." The deputy meowed courteously. Before the three toms could leave, however, there was a rustling in the bramble tunnel entrance. Amberpaw burst through, with Daisyfoot on her heels. Turtleshine was running behind them.

"Snowstar!" Amberpaw gasped. "We found Flintstar and Nightstripe on our territory! They-they wanted to speak with you."

"Yes. We do." The orange and black leader stepped out from the tunnel, Nightstripe followed behind.

"We have come because our clan needs a medicine cat!" He meows. Goldendawn steps out of her den, Wolfpaw by her side.

"We refuse to serve you." She hissed. Wolfpaw looked at his mentor, and back to Flintstar.

"I will go." He meowed.

"No, my baby!" Sunflame gasped, and rushed forward.

"Sunflame, I can't leave my clanmates to die!" Wolfpaw argued, standing up for his beliefs.

"They aren't your clanmates anymore. They deserted us!"

"And we are stronger because of it! Mother, we are all clanmates under Starclan. As medicine cat, it is my duty to protect my clanmates from death by illness or wounds. This is my choice." His voice was strong, but shook slightly as he swept his gaze over his mother and younger sister. "Oh, mother, and Amberpaw, I'll always miss you." Sunflame whimpered, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Tell Papa that I'll see him again someday." Wolfpaw mewed. Then he turned towards Flintstar and his deputy. "I am ready."

"Wait! Wolfpaw!" Goldendawn called. She ran to him and touched her muzzle to his head gently. "I may not agree with your decision, but your heart is full of kindness and you'll always be a trusted clanmate. Under the watchful gaze of our ancestors, I give you your full name. From this moment on, your name is Wolfpath. May you care for your Clan with all of the powers of the stars at your paws, my friend." She murmured. As she stepped away, her gaze was full of sadness, but she didn't try to stop her former apprentice as he followed his new leader out of camp.

"We will never forget you." Sunflame whispered, and Amberpaw buried her face in her mother's shoulder.

_What more will we suffer at the paws of Sunclan?_ Snowstar wondered as he watched his clanmates desolate faces turn away. _Oh Starclan, what will you throw at us next?_

**Hope you liked it! Please review with comments and suggestions! Will update soon,**

**-Bright**


	8. Chapter 6

**Whoa, has it seriously been this long since I updated? So sorry! Here's the newest, more coming soon :)**

**Flintclaw:**

The large black and orange tom gazed proudly around his camp. _It certainly is a work in progress, but it's coming along. The walls are almost up, the entrance archway just needs a few more tendrils woven into the left side…and the dens are coming along nicely! Soon, the nursery will even have a roof! Only the best for Sunclan. _My _Clan._ He thought smugly. It felt so good to say that. _My Clan._ He thought again. Even the two mere words were enough to send chills up his spine. It had taken days to find the perfect place for a territory, even longer to settle into a nice, shady, hidden area for a camp. He watched as his clanmates bustled about, hauling brambles, weaving ferns and grasses, and brining in prey for the freshkill pile. It certainly was far larger than it had ever been in Moonclan. _Then again, when I returned for Wolfpath, they seemed well fed and happy. Quite a change from when we all lived there. _Flintstar mused. He thought of a favorite saying of his mother's. _Empty bellies make angry hearts._ She said it was used back in the ancient forest with the legendary six clans. _If only those Clans could see us now! How jealous they would be of our practically limitless territory, our land overflowing with prey!_ Flintstar chuckles to himself. Stretching, he wanders around camp, speaking with his warriors with nods and meows of greeting. He gazed toward the far corner of camp where he saw Leopardmask wrestling with a particularly springy bunch of tendrils. He purrs, walking over to the elegant she-cat. _Beautiful even when she's working._ He thought. Smirking to himself, he remembered Snowstar's anguished yowl when Leopardmask left him. _I bet she just wanted to get away from the silly old tom. Who wouldn't, when you could have _me _instead? We'll build a life here together, Leopardmask and I. _He padded up behind the speckled she-cat, placing his muzzle close to her ear, so his hot breath brushed up against the delicate skin.

"Boo." He murmured_. _She turned, eyes sparking.

"What're you doing over here, you rascal? I thought you were _supposed_ to be leading a Clan." She smiled, licking his cheek.

"Who'd want to lead a Clan when they could spend the day with you? C'mon, let's g for a walk. I could use some fresh air. It's a little," He gestures to the crowded camp with a swish of his tail, "stuffy in here." Leopardmask purred seductively.

"Or maybe you just want to get me alone?" Flintstar ran his tongue over the edges of his lips.

"Now why ever would I do that?" He asked innocently. She opened her mouth to reply, _With something witty, no doubt._ He thought. But instead, she retched a little, crouching in pain. He backed up instinctively, but realized that was ridiculous. _This is the cat I vowed to spend my life with! _He flashed back to his promise to her, made when they had become close over the journey to find a new home. He pressed his pelt to hers, and asked gently,

"Leopardmask? My dear, are you all right? You're ill aren't you! Why didn't you tell me?" She looked up at him, wiping a grimace off her face and putting on a brave smile.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a little queasiness. Honestly, nothing to worry about. It's just here for a couple days I think…" She wobbled to her paws. "And then it will be gone. Must've been that blackbird I had last night. I thought it tasted a little funny." Flintstar rolled his eyes.

"I doubt it. It tasted fine to me. Let's go get you to Wolfpath…he'll know what's wrong." The two slowly made their way to the partially constructed medicine cat den. The white tom inside was busily patching up holes in the walls.

"Wolfpath!' Flintstar meowed. He looked around camp quickly, noticing that a few cats were sitting around with nothing to do. _Maybe I should lead a patrol…Leopardmask will be fine without me._ "Wolfpath!"

"Yes?" The fluffy white cat replied, turning away from his project. "What can I do for you, Flint_star_?" The medicine cat hadn't quite completely forgiven his clanmates for abandoning Moonclan yet. It would take awhile.

"Leopardmask isn't feeling the greatest. Could you check up on her? I've got to go lead a patrol…" Flintstar settled his mate down onto the soft, pine needle covered ground and hurried away.

**Leopardmask:**

_Of course. He walks away. Typical busy, absent-minded tom. But I do love him anyway. _Leopardmask purred when she even thought about the handsome black and orange tom. Of course, she had heard the whispers, the murmurs, the gossip traded beneath their breath as to not alert her of their judgmental ways. _But of course I hear them. I always hear them._ She thought sourly. _"She's a power-hunter. She's after the next highest ranked tom she can get. She's ambitious. She's a lying cheating, snake."_ _Whatever. They don't know me. I am no longer the innocent mate of Snowstar. I am no longer the prancing, single vixen. I have found my happiness._ Wolfpath sniffed her gently, prodding her and circling her slowly.

"Well? What's wrong with me?" She snapped. "I have a life outside of your den, you know. Let's hope I can get back to it soon." Wolfpath stepped back, puzzled. Then, a snarky look of knowing passed across his face.

"Nothing's wrong with you, Leopardmask." He turned away, setting about neatening his nest. "You're simply pregnant."

**Hmmm...and she didn't want kits? Weird. Anyway, update soon y'all!**

**-Bright**


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